Sultan Abdulmecid I of the Ottoman Empire knew that his empire would never reach its former glory, unless something was done, no matter the consequences. The empire was stagnating, and had been for some time. His Tanzimat reforms had changed stagnation into progress. But the Ottoman Empire was still declining.
The Ottomans fell behind in technology. The Empire did not have the social structure of the Western European states, which was needed to introduce industrial technology. In any attempt to modernize or reform the Ottoman Empire, powerful military and religious elite would oppose the Sultan.
The Ottomans fell behind in economy. The Ottoman state was planned when the economy was agricultural. Public functions depended on public investments. As the world economy started to form, and economies of other nations evolved, the Ottomans stayed the same. Inns, hospitals, libraries... Lastly, Ottoman trade was lackluster. The Europeans didn't need to trade through the Ottomans with the East ever since the revolution in European shipping which started in the 16th century and had been ongoing.
The Ottomans fell behind in administration and politics. The second most powerful man in the Empire was the Grand Vizier. During turbulent times, Sultans would sacrifice their Grand Viziers to prevent civil war or coups. As one might imagine, this did not help stability at all. In addition, the Ulema was a very powerful faction in the government. The Ulema was a powerful religious elite, and if the Ulema was displeased with the Sultan, the Sultan would be overthrown. Lastly, the entire Ottoman Empire was based around the Sultan... and the Sultan rarely left his palace.
The Ottomans fell behind in military. The area that had always needed the most development was the military. Most Sultans realized this. The Janissaries however were the most averse group to change, and they were the most powerful group in the empire, until Mahmud II abolished them. Other problems existed however. To modernize the army, outsiders needed to be brought in. They were, but they were regarded with suspicion by the Empire's elite.
Lastly, as we all know, Greece split off from the Ottoman Empire in 1821, after a nasty war.
Abdulmecid would reform the empire, further than his prior Tanzimat reforms, despite any opposition he would get. He knew that he would cause great turmoil. Perhaps a civil war. Perhaps the Ulema would try to overthrow his rule. But he would resist the traditionalists, and transform the Ottoman Empire into one of the greatest empires on earth...
...But it wouldn't be an empire...
The Ottomans fell behind in technology. The Empire did not have the social structure of the Western European states, which was needed to introduce industrial technology. In any attempt to modernize or reform the Ottoman Empire, powerful military and religious elite would oppose the Sultan.
The Ottomans fell behind in economy. The Ottoman state was planned when the economy was agricultural. Public functions depended on public investments. As the world economy started to form, and economies of other nations evolved, the Ottomans stayed the same. Inns, hospitals, libraries... Lastly, Ottoman trade was lackluster. The Europeans didn't need to trade through the Ottomans with the East ever since the revolution in European shipping which started in the 16th century and had been ongoing.
The Ottomans fell behind in administration and politics. The second most powerful man in the Empire was the Grand Vizier. During turbulent times, Sultans would sacrifice their Grand Viziers to prevent civil war or coups. As one might imagine, this did not help stability at all. In addition, the Ulema was a very powerful faction in the government. The Ulema was a powerful religious elite, and if the Ulema was displeased with the Sultan, the Sultan would be overthrown. Lastly, the entire Ottoman Empire was based around the Sultan... and the Sultan rarely left his palace.
The Ottomans fell behind in military. The area that had always needed the most development was the military. Most Sultans realized this. The Janissaries however were the most averse group to change, and they were the most powerful group in the empire, until Mahmud II abolished them. Other problems existed however. To modernize the army, outsiders needed to be brought in. They were, but they were regarded with suspicion by the Empire's elite.
Lastly, as we all know, Greece split off from the Ottoman Empire in 1821, after a nasty war.
Abdulmecid would reform the empire, further than his prior Tanzimat reforms, despite any opposition he would get. He knew that he would cause great turmoil. Perhaps a civil war. Perhaps the Ulema would try to overthrow his rule. But he would resist the traditionalists, and transform the Ottoman Empire into one of the greatest empires on earth...
...But it wouldn't be an empire...
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